Division of Service-Disabled Veterans'
Business Development

Overview

The Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Act, signed into law by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on May 12, 2014, allows eligible Veteran business owners to get certified as a New York State Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB). The goal of the Act is to encourage and support eligible SDVOBs to play a greater role in the state's economy by increasing their participation in New York State's contracting opportunities.
The OGS Division of Service-Disabled Veterans' Business Development is responsible for certifying eligible SDVOBs, and assisting and promoting their participation in the state's procurement activities.

Certification Eligibility

The business must be independently owned and operated and have a significant business presence in New York State.

The business must have conducted business for, generally, at least one year prior to the application date.

One or more service-disabled veterans, with a service-connected disability rating of 10% or more from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (or from the New York State Division of Veterans’ Affairs for National Guard veterans), must own at least 51% of the business.

Service-disabled veteran ownership must be real, substantial, and continuing.

The eligible service-disabled veteran owner(s) must have (and exercise) authority to independently control the day-to-day business decisions.

The business must qualify as a small business* under the New York State program.

The business must be located in New York State or have a significant business presence* in New York State.

What qualifies as a small business* in New York State?
New York State small business minimum eligibility requirements:

The business is independently owned and operated

The business has no more than 300 employees and has a significant business presence in the state but is not dominant in the field.

If you have any questions about this eligibility requirement, contact OGS at 518-474-2015.

What qualifies as a significant business presence* in new york state?
As defined by the NYS SDVOB program rules and regulations, the business must be authorized to do business in New York State, and make a contribution to the New York State economy through:

the payment of taxes

the purchase of made in New York State construction, construction services, non-construction services, technology, commodities or products

any payroll in New York State.

Get Certified

Gather all supporting documentation, as specified in Part X of the application. Carefully review the instructions for each section in Part X (Parts X-A, X-B, X-C, X-D) to make sure you are submitting the correct supporting documents.

Mail the application and supporting documents to the OGS Division of Service-Disabled Veterans' Business Development as specified in the Submission Instructions (page 9) in the application.

Find Business Opportunities

Register your business on the New York State Contract Reporter to receive email notifications of opportunities in your business area. The Contract Reporter is the official online publication of state contracting opportunities.